Glycoursodeoxycholic acid (GUDCA) is a glycine-conjugated form of the secondary bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid .1,2 It has antioxidant effects in vitro in Barrett’s esophagus cells and primary cultured rat neurons.3,4 GUDCA reduces the levels of inflammatory cytokines and prevents cell death induced by unconjugated bilirubin in an astroglial cell model of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.5 Oral administration of GUDCA (500 mg/kg per day) decreases the severity of symptoms and increases the amount of A. muciniphila, a bacterial species commonly decreased in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in a mouse model of colitis.2
1.Lefebvre, P., Cariou, B., Lien, F., et al.Role of bile acids and bile acid receptors in metabolic regulationPhysiol. Rev.89(1)147-191(2009) 2.Van den Bossche, L., Hindryckx, P., Devisscher, L., et al.Ursodeoxycholic acid and its taurine- or glycine-conjugated species reduce colitogenic dysbiosis and equally suppress experimental colitis in miceAppl. Environ. Microbiol.83(7)e02766-02716(2017) 3.Goldman, A., Condon, A., Adler, E., et al.Protective effects of glycoursodeoxycholic acid in Barrett's esophagus cellsDis. Esophagus23(2)83-93(2010) 4.Brito, M.A., Lima, S., Fernandes, A., et al.Bilirubin injury to neurons: Contribution of oxidative stress and rescue by glycoursodeoxycholic acidNeurotoxicology29(2)259-269(2008) 5.Fernandes, A., Vaz, A.R., Falcao, A.S., et al.Glycoursodeoxycholic acid and interleukin-10 modulate the reactivity of rat cortical astrocytes to unconjugated bilirubinJ. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol.66(9)789-798(2007)